Research Abstracts on Child Labour Women Labour - Nipccd

Elimination of Child Labour
M. Venkatarangaiya Foundation, Secunderabad. (2006).
Elimination of child labour through universalization of education : annual report
May 2005-April 2006. Secunderabad : MVF. 43 p.
Key Words : 1.CHILD LABOUR 2.CHILD LABOUR EDUCATION 3.ELIMINATION OF CHILD
LABOUR 4.COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION 5.SOCIAL CHANGE 6.CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS
7.UNIVERSALISATION OF EDUCATION 8.CHILD RIGHTS 9.CASE STUDIES 10.JOGINS
11.STATISTICS CHILDREN IN SCHOOL 12.CHILD MARRIAGE 13.SECUNDERABAD 14.ANDHRA
PRADESH.
Abstract : Andhra Pradesh has a large number of child labourers, and efforts are on to
eliminate this problem. MV Foundation (MVF) implemented the programme for elimination of
child labour by strengthening the institution building processes at the local level. Mandal
Task Force was constituted in each mandal, that met once in a quarter to discuss children’s
rights in their constituency. One mandal covered 50 villages in Rangareddy District.
Hundreds of girls in the 13-18 years age group joined the campaign for their rights,
especially their right to education and against child marriage. Programme on health rights of
children below 6 years was taken up under which every pregnant woman was monitored, along
with every child born in that area. MVF also acted as a networking agency to take the lead
on the programmes against child labour. Thus, it brought together about 40 NGOs to stop
mass marriages of children in the temple town of Kalahasthi. This effort helped in
preventing over 1000 child marriages, and built advocacy support to amend the Child Labour
Act 1986. About 50 Gram Panchayats had been activated for protecting child rights. They
began issuing birth certificates and registering marriages in their constituencies. MVF also
works in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Bihar. In Bihar, the
importance of education of older children was realized by the community, and pressure was
created regarding dropout from schools, lack of teachers and other infrastructure in
schools. After that, a residential camp was started for older girls, and other children were
admitted in neighbouring Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) centres and schools. Soon the
community learnt not only to focus their attention on out-of-school children, but also on
retention of children in schools. MVF networked with national advocacy groups such as
Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL), CRUWSF, HAQ, IACR and facilitated a campaign to
bring about an amendment to the Child Labour (Prevention and Regulation) Act 1986. MVF
helped to release 558 bonded labourers in Ranga Reddy and 563 in Nalgonda districts, and
also rescued 542 girls from child marriages in the same villages. MVF had to take on the
responsibilities of being a technical training and resource agency. It also focused attention
on building its institutional capacity through systematic training and capacity building of its
senior staff. Its senior programme personnel participated as resource persons in national
and state level workshops on child labour and right to education hosted by the Government
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<strong>Research</strong> <strong>Abstracts</strong> on Child Labour, Labour and Women Labour 1998 - 2009